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Elizabeth Van Tassel

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Five Tips To Fight The Winter Blahs

Jan 7, 2016

The twinkle of Christmas and holiday fun are now a memory. Things are packed away in bins for another time. And worst of all, the neighbor’s tree is sitting outside all alone. In the rain. In a puddle. It’s, well, just not quite right. This first week of the year has already held some little delights sandwiched between more serious moments. It’s felt like a jerking roller coaster and had sad moments with sick friends, the loss of a dear lady’s son, and my own bad back chiming in. Then gorgeous sunrises and sunsets with the unusual clouds in California,… 

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Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Dec 24, 2015

This time of year is filled with highs and lows, isn’t it? One moment it’s a play with little ones singing their hearts out on stage. The next, there’s something broken in the house that needs fixing urgently. That sound of water running, and no one’s in the shower. Not good! Then my heart is with sick friends in hospital and ones far away. There’s missing loved ones you’re apart from. And sometimes difficult moments with others whose words jar and barb rather than heal. Sickness seems inevitable, and a rush of memories from wonderful times and rough ones all… 

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San Francisco Christmas Gem Tour

Dec 16, 2015

As a little holiday gift, I’m taking you gem shopping in San Francisco. In addition to being a resilience expert, I also am a graduate gemologist and write gem-filled mysteries for teens and tweens. It’s been a good year, and together we’ve tackled tough topics in life, bringing new insights together for more resilience in the everyday challenges we all face. Especially those of us who’ve walked with loved ones through difficult moments or met a certain hurdle face-on with renewed strength. While visiting some relatives in the Bay Area, I couldn’t resist taking a peek at what’s new from… 

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How To Create A Writer’s Wonderland

Dec 9, 2015

Ever wanted to create a lively atmosphere at your school where kids are learning a bunch about writing and hopefully falling in love with the craft—and meeting some great authors, too? Some caring parents at Barnard Elementary recently invited me to participate and I wanted to share some highlights since it was so special. For someone who loves writing, it was a bit like fairyland to step into that room. More than 200 kids over the evening were bustling between poetry and cartoons, book-themed dinner and desserts, creating characters while a talented artist drew them, and much more. The kids… 

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Don’t miss the Christmas whimsy

Dec 2, 2015

The holidays are here and elves have appeared, ballerinas dance with nutcrackers that come alive, and all kinds of stories and historical tales find renewal underneath Christmas trees and other scenes. It seems like the child’s eye of life takes over once a year, briefly, and allows us all to relax into the memories of our youth along with them. How can we capture more of those moments this Christmas season? And what is the special magic of whimsy? Whimsy gives us an opportunity to recharge our batteries. During a very challenging day, with hours at the car dealer, more… 

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Happy Thanksgiving

Nov 25, 2015

Just a simple wish sent your way for family delights and a spark of new hope in your celebration for Thanksgiving. I’m so thankful for your support and interest as I press on with getting published and helping others find a path to resilience, whatever they face. Sometimes life calls for more simplicity and lovingkindness, so I’m sending those wishes your way, too. I have a new author friend who is always saying, “Great job. Now go write!” She loathes self-criticism and the wasteful moments of guilt. I’ve decided to embrace this attitude as we ease into the holiday season…. 

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Stolen Candy, Second Chances

Nov 18, 2015

Thoughts for today’s teens, and anyone needing fresh perspective. The first day of acrylic painting instructions in high school, someone ate my main project. No joking. We showed up with large canvasses, wide as I could stretch my arms. A 3×5 index card. And piles of very colorful salt-water taffy in wax-paper wrappers. Then the assignment: don’t eat the sweets, blow them up huge on the canvass! First, we glued them to the cards and made notes of the lighting so we could work on it for a few weeks. Then we carefully watched proportion and sketched the lines, shadows,… 

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Time To Go! Your New Start

Nov 11, 2015

The final part of our New Beginnings Series! Done with that! Well, sort of… When the mists of crisis finally begin to clear, how ever do you find your equilibrium and breathe new life into your dust-covered dreams? First, congratulations! You’ve made it through either a busy season in life that was a big distraction, or perhaps a complete change in lifestyle that required your full focus for a while. Whatever brought you through, take a moment to celebrate! Hearts lifted! It’s time for your gratitude to overflow. You may be more weepy and sensitive or still require a bit… 

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Press Through The Net

Nov 4, 2015

Part Five in the New Beginnings Series Crisis hits! Just when you’re making progress on your dream project, the one you’ve secretly carried in your heart for years, something nasty happens. Maybe it’s a car crash, a great loss, illness, or an accident. Or it’s just an overwhelming amount of good things all calling out as a higher priority like sports and family commitments. Phew! It’s almost enough to make you quit all together. I’m afraid it’s also a sign you’re doing something great and need to consider putting your plans on temporary hold for a while if necessary. This… 

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All Star Authors Event

Oct 28, 2015

Last week’s post about updrafts, those key moments when your New Beginning gets a major boost from a circumstance or meeting, brought one for me with wonderful Starley Murray. On the exact day for our eight-year anniversary of losing everything in the wildfires of 2007, I was invited to a super author’s event in Los Angeles. It felt like time slowed down when I got to share our story and how I use all the challenges we’ve had to help others now. I thought you’d like to come backstage to watch it happening! Starley was so encouraging, and reminded me… 

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